November 18, 2013

Quick Apple Cake

On Sunday morning, I had to turn the air conditioning on. It was like 70 degrees outside and sticky. So, I hung some Christmas decorations to the buzz of an a/c unit that was optimizing the indoor temperature to a non-sticky 68 degrees. So odd.

Later, we went for a walk. I wore shorts.

This is a strange land.

If anything, I think that maybe Pennsylvania agrees with me more than I ever thought it did. I like cool falls, short winters, and hot summers. However, I do not care for the lack of spring that seems to exist in Pennsylvania. I never got a spring in Alaska...remember my flip-flops in the slush?

I'm not by any stretch ready for snow. That stuff is trouble. But I wouldn't mind a solid 45 degrees and sunny for the next 3 months. We'll see what happens I guess.

Fall is almost over, but it's not too late to make a tasty fall dessert!

This is a quick cake for the time of year when you want something "fall" but don't have a lot of time. It's actually quicker than an apple crisp, which is my usual go-to during this season, because you just stir it all together in one bowl. It's a lot like a coffee cake; perfect for brunch too.

Quick Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

makes one 9" pie pan

1 cup flour

1 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1 egg

2 t. vanilla

3 T. apple butter

1 T. melted butter

1/4 cup apple sauce

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 large baking apple (I used Granny Smith), peeled and finely diced

3/4 cup butterscotch chips

Stir all of the ingredients together very well with a wooden spoon in a big bowl (really, that's it).

Pour into a greased 9" pie pan (I used glass) or an 8x8" pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.

Let cool and then spread on the Cream Cheese frosting. If you're pressed for time, use a can of cream cheese frosting. Either way, you can't go wrong! I like to spread it on while the cake is warm.

With an electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Once smooth, start adding in the powdered sugar and then the meringue powder. Mix until all is blended together. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Yeah I'm not really feeling this warmer weather in the fall bit. We had a few really good weeks of actual COOL fall weather and then...BAM. It was summer again. Just as the holidays roll around. I can't remember the last Thanksgiving or Christmas where I didn't feel like wearing a sweater was stupid. I promise you, though, that if I ended up living in a land where it was frigidly cold all fall and winter long--I'd change my tune. Sad thing is--this is a very real possibility with the husband's line of work. Le'sigh. (Also--how quickly my memory of college faded. I remember the last winter (I went to Appalachian State) I was walking into the student union on a day that the wind was whipping (which was every day, really) and it was freezing raining. My face was bleeding when I got inside and said NEVER AGAIN)!

I am pretty happy with PA. I am like you, though, and the lack of spring makes me a little sad. I'd gladly trade some of the hot summer days/weeks for a few more warm, breezy spring ones. I'd also gladly take some extra fall over a longer winter (minus the spiders). Normally, I can tough it through the winter, but this one, this year, is RIDIC! If it's not going to snow for Christmas, I feel like it really doesn't need to snow at all. And THIS cold... "ain't nobody got time for that!"